In a Heartbeat
by Twilight Mistress-19
Summary: At the peak of Link and Zelda's relationship they are presented with the littlest of miracles, helping only to strengthen the bond that they already have. Zelink Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One – A Little Miracle**

**Author's Note – **This story is based on the OoT setting, when both Link and Zelda have grown to be the age of 18. I do not own any of the characters of course, but I do own the main themes and concepts that will she shown throughout the story along with my own fictional characters.

**Reviews – **Please review and tell me what you think! :)

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Link smiled and leaned forward to kiss her brow, running his fingers through her golden, silken hair. She smiled in return and moved her arms around his neck, resting her head on his strong, muscular chest. _Th-Thump. Th-Thump. Th-Thump. _Listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat she allowed herself to forget the pressures that were laid upon her as the princess of Hyrule, caught in yet another tender moment where it seemed that time itself had stopped. Zelda then leaned up and brushed her lips against his teasingly before grabbing his hat off of the top of his head and placing it on her own. "Hm… How do I look?" she grinned.

"Hey!" he laughed. "Well, you know, it kind of suits you."

"Really?" she stated inquisitively.

"No." She hit him playfully. Link grinned and put his hand on her face, gazing into her eyes. "You are beautiful, though, on the inside and out." She blushed. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers while placing his hand on her hard, round stomach, drawing circles with the tip of his index finger.

After a few seconds Zelda drew back and smiled radiantly, examining the expression on his face as his eyes followed the motion of his hand. He, too, was smiling. "I have something to tell you," she started. He stopped what he was doing and looked at her, eyes gleaming. "I had a prophetic dream last night and…" she paused to build suspense and excitement.

"And?" he repeated anxiously.

"We're having a girl." Ecstatic, Link let out a joyful burst of laughter, holding her tightly within his arms.

"That's great!" He glanced down at her, beaming. "She'll be just as magnificent and astonishing as her mom."

"…And her dad." Zelda said, blushing slightly. Just then Impa appeared in the doorway, smirking.

"Princess, your father is waiting for you."

"Huh? For what?" Confusion spread over Zelda's face, unaware of what Impa was talking about.

"The meeting."

"Oh, yes… _That_. I shall be there within a few moments."

"…Without the hat?" Impa chuckled.

Zelda smiled and removed Link's hat, placing it upon his head. "I'll see you later," she said, kissing him on the cheek. She then turned away from him and walked over to where Impa was standing.

"You'd best come along now. Your father grows impatient as we speak." Leaving Link alone in her bedroom Zelda followed Impa, quite aware that he was staring after her until she was completely out of sight.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two – Duties of a Princess **

**Author's Note – **Being that the story takes off after OoT and MM, the King and other characters are not aware of what went on between the alternate timelines in OoT. Link and Zelda are the only ones who feel and remember certain things that brought them together, and even then their memories are vague (though a strong relationship is still built between them nonetheless).

**Readers – **To all of you who took the time to leave me with your thoughts – a big thank you! I love reading through all of your comments! :D

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"You have not maintained your duties, princess. How do you expect to display leadership for your kingdom if you are preoccupied with other affairs? Such is not becoming of a future Queen, ruler of Hyrule." The King flared with anger as he turned his attention over to Impa, who was standing aside from Zelda with her arms folded. The entire room at this point fell completely silent, the guards sitting together staring blindly at the royal family, who were situated at the head of the table. "And you! You were supposed to enforce specific guidelines that she was to follow! How can she be properly equipped to be the governor of Hyrule if you do not reinforce the responsibilities she currently has as a princess!?"

"Father! That's enough!" Slamming her fists on the table Zelda rose and glared directly at the King, who only returned the same intense gaze. "I am not neglecting my priorities! But do you expect to imprison me within these castle walls forever, without ever making my own judgment, without ever being able to carve a path for my own life? Did you ever stop to think about what it is that I desire, what makes me happy?!"

"Silence!" The King's voice radiated through the entire chamber, startling all who were within his presence. "I have heard rumors that you have been with that fairy boy, the one who wears the green robes of the forest," he paused, raising his left hand to wipe away the sweat on his brow with a patterned silk cloth. "It's true, isn't it? I cannot be mistaken. He is the cause for these newly developed sensations that you are experiencing at the moment. Link, is it? Link, imprudent by nature, led you onto a path that is torn away from your royal ties. Well, I will not have it!"

"I _love_ him!" Zelda pleaded. It just wasn't fair. As many times as she tried to reason with him, he remained headstrong. There was just no getting through to him.

"How could you possibly love a commoner? You are royalty! You will marry a prince, or you will not marry at all! That is _final_!" With that the King rose and began to make his way to the door, his royal clothing billowing behind him. "Oh, yes," he said, stopping to glance at Zelda over his shoulder. "He may no longer reside within the castle boundaries; it is perfectly clear that he has been swaying you from your responsibilities as a princess. Should any of the guards detect his presence, he will immediately be thrown into the dungeon, as issued for all trespassers that intrude implicit royal headquarters. Do I make myself clear?" He then disappeared into the long corridor, leaving his final words lingering with those that remained in the courtroom. Feeling defeated, Zelda allowed herself to drop into her forgotten chair while staring mindlessly into an empty void, unable to grasp the realities that had just been positioned for her, once again, by her father.

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"You mean… I have to leave?" Link was shocked. He couldn't believe what she was telling him.

"Yes… but I don't want you to! It's just… my father finally picked up on our…relationship. He thinks that I'm neglecting the duties that I have as a princess." Zelda said softly, avoiding his gaze.

"Does…does he know about…?"

"…No. At this point I think it would be better if we allowed him to clear his mind. Such will make it so that he will not rush to any haste conclusions without using sound judgment."

"I really do love you, you know." Link whispered into her ear, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"I love you, too…"she replied. Both were standing on the balcony of Zelda's bedroom, gazing out across the land as the sun retreated behind the horizon, casting streams of golden sunlight that illuminated the sky and shone down onto the earth below. Birds made their last appearance while gliding through the air, riding the wind as it prowled its way through the fields towards clusters of trees where, suddenly, it ended abruptly and disappeared. The two lone figures were caught in what seemed to be a seamless moment frozen in time, lost in a world of their own.

Turning around, Zelda leaned up and wrapped her arms around his neck, seizing his lips in a soft, gentle kiss. Closing his eyes, Link pressed his lips firmly against hers and tightened his grasp around her waist. Neither wanted to part and bid farewell to one another, for they felt as though they were two halves, together making a whole. If one was absent, the other would feel incomplete.

Parting from the kiss, Zelda walked forward and leaned on the rim of her balcony, fighting the tears that threatened to fall. Link followed. "You'd better go now, Link. My father already thinks that you've left. If you're caught –" He pressed a finger to her lips.

"It's alright. I'll be fine." He smirked. You forget that I'm pretty good at sneaking around without getting caught."

"Link, this is not to be taken lightly. My father is hard to reason with; he acts _before_ he thinks!"

"Zelda… Hey! You know, you could come with me! Surely we could be—"

"Link, please… We've gone over this. Before my mother passed away I promised her that I would look after my father…and by that it means that I had to inherit her responsibilities as well as my own. And now I have to think about Hyrule's future. As much as I'd like to, I…I…can't come with you. It wouldn't solve anything, anyway."

"Zelda…"

"We can spend the nights together, though. I can leave in disguise and they won't be able to recognize me. As a Sheikah I've secretly obtained the title of a royal guard, so no one suspects that there is a link between me and my counterpart."

"You never cease to amaze me with your wisdom." He smiled. "I'm going to miss you a lot, even knowing that we will be able to at least spend some time together. But what are we going to do about the baby?" An exasperated sigh escaped Zelda's lips. She really wasn't sure what they would do as of yet.

"I'm certain that when the time comes, we'll figure something out," she tried to say confidently. Link enclosed Zelda within his arms one final time before climbing over the rail of the balcony, preparing to slink away into the night without being seen.

"I love you," he mouthed silently as he began descending down the overgrown vines on the castle wall.

"I love you, too," Zelda responded, forcing a small smile.

"Zelda? Are you in there? Who are you talking to?" a deep, muffled voice from the other side of the door bellowed questionably. Startled, Link fell into the bushes below, causing the guards nearby to turn in the direction where they heard the breaking of branches.

"Something's there!"

"Reveal yourself!" The guards rushed over to where Link laid in the bushes, weapons poised and ready for use.

_Shit_! Link thought to himself, panicked. _Alright. Stay calm… I'm sure there's a way out of this. I just have to out-smart them, that's all_! He held his breath, hoping that the noise would possibly go unnoticed. That was before he felt someone grab him from behind, pulling him into the screen of darkness with a hand clamped firmly over his mouth. He froze.

Zelda peered over the side of the balcony, looking around to find what the commotion was all about. "What's going on down there?" she asked, pretending she wasn't aware of the situation. The guards raised their heads and glanced in Zelda's direction.

"There's an intruder! Don't worry, though, princess! We'll quickly dispose of him!"

"I can assure you that there is no one there. Not only that, I am able to protect myself, you know. Therefore I suggest that you return to your posts."

"I'm sorry, princess, but we received orders from your father to closely inspect everything to ensure your safety. So—"

"Are you questioning my authority?" she said furiously.

"No, of course not, but—"

"Look for yourself! There is nothing there." The guards fumbled through the bushes, searching desperately to find any trace of evidence that might prove otherwise. There was nothing.

"There really is nothing there," the one guard whispered to the other.

"Maybe we should retire," the other replied.

"Are you through?" The two men flinched. Zelda was hardly ever angry, and they hated when she was. Everyone was so fond of the Princess because of her loving nature and her temperament. The men especially were drawn to her, admiring her wisdom, beauty, and kind, caring heart. Not to mention her hidden brute strength. "Return to your posts immediately."

"Y-yes, Princess…" The guards quickly followed the orders that were instructed, fearing to be stripped of their duties if they refused to listen upon command.

Zelda quickly turned around to find Impa standing in front of her in her usual stance, arms folded. She jumped. "Impa…"

"Your father is very angry, Princess."

"Yes, I know, but…"

"He overheard you talking to someone in here, but grew impatient when you did not answer." The same look of defeat washed over Zelda's face, causing her to stare off into the distance. "He means well," Impa said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "He's just concerned about how you will be able to cope when he is no longer around."

"Oh, Impa… Don't say that. He's—"

"His health is declining at a faster rate each day. It won't be long now. I'm sorry." Zelda's heart sank. Why was all of this happening to her? First she lost her mother as well as her freedom to be a normal child. Always isolated, always alone. Now she had the pressures of losing her father, the responsibility of the kingdom of Hyrule, and the difficulty of maintaining the relationship with Link. _Link… _

"Link! He…" She trailed off. She could only hope that he was able to escape during the diversion that she tried to create.

"Don't worry, Princess. I assisted him in his escape. Now, you'd best get some rest. We have to make sure that you're healthy for the young one that's coming along soon," Impa gestured, smiling. It was her first and main priority to look after and care for Zelda, being that Zelda really never had much of a bond with anyone else, other than Link of course. She felt that it was her duty to be there for Zelda in times that no one else could be, there for when she needed a shoulder to cry on, there to convince her that everything was going to be okay. She was, like everyone else, very fond of Zelda. The only difference was that she looked at Zelda as her own child, and so she would defend her in anyway possible.

Placing an arm around her shoulders, Impa led Zelda back into her bedroom, abandoning the scene where two hearts separated within the concealed shadows of the night.


End file.
